Tilted display carton



May 25, 1965 J. w. FLETCHER 3,185,293

TILTED DISPLAY CARTON Filed May 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l 43 j 44 INVENTOR 30 L28 2 Q 29J27 JACK w. FLETCHER FIG.4- BY W ATTORNEY May 25, 1965 J. w. FLETCHER TILTED DISPLAY CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1963 FIG] FIGS

INVENTOR JACK W. FLETCHER ATTORNEY United States Patent C 3,155,293 THJTED DISPLAY CARTON Jack W. Fletcher, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to The Mead Corporation, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 1, 1963, Ser. No. 277,379 2 Claims. (Cl. 206-4521) This invention relates to tilted display cartons and more particularly to a display carton having a tray portion and a hinged lid and wherein the hinged lid is arranged to be folded outwardly and underneath the bottom ofthe tray portion of the carton to form a tilted support therefor.

Ordinarily, folding boxes of the type to which this invention is primarily applicable are made of paperboard and are printed only on their outside surfaces. In folding boxes of the tilted display type wherein a hinged lid is folded outwardly and downwardly underneath the tray portion of the carton, an unsightly portion of unprinted paperboard is exposed to direct view and hence constitutes a substantial objection to an otherwise simple and satisfactory display device.

A principal object of this invention is to provide for better display of merchandise by improving the appearance of tiltable folding boxes having hinged lids without impairing their utility or increasing their cost.

The invention in one form as applied to folding boxes having hinged lids comprises lap panels foldably joined to the side edges of the lid panel at the portion of such edges between the lid hinge line and a transverse fold line formed in the lid panel, printing such lap panels on the same side of the carton blank on which the remaining panels are printed and which normally would constitute the outside of the carton, arranging the printing on the two la-p panels so that when they are folded inwardly into face contacting relation with the inside surface of the box lid the printed material there-on forms a composite representation as may be desired, the adjacent edges of the lap panels constituting matched portions of the composite representation.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carton embodying the invention and shown in the closed condition; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carton of FIG. 1 with the lid portion opened partially but not in the displaying position; FIGS. 3 and 3A are views similar to FIG. 2 but with the lid portion folded underneath the tray portion of the carton so as to form a tilted support for the display carton, it being understood that FIG. 3A is a modification of the preferred arrangement as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a blank preferably of paperboard from which the display carton is formed according to this invention; FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 constitute steps in the folding operation of the blank depicted in FIG. 4 by which the completed carton is formed from the blank of FIG. 4. FIG. 8 shows the carton in collapsed form ready for shipment and without any articles packaged therein.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the numeral 1 has been used to designate the rectangular bottom panel of the tray portion of the box while the numerals 2, 3, 4 and designate the four side walls of the tray portion of the carton which are foldably joined respectively to the edges of the bottom panel 1.

The tray portion of the box is formed in conventional fashion by corner flaps at each corner which are secured by glue to the adjacent side walls to form corners. For

ice

example, foldably joined to side wall 2 along fold line 6 is a corner flap 7. Similarly .a corner flap 8 is foldably joined to side wall 3 along fold line 3. in like fashion corner flap 1G is foldably joined to the end of side wall 5 along fold line v11 while corner flap 12 is foldably joined to the other end of side wall 5 along fold line 13.

For the purpose of rendering the tray portion of the carton collapsible, fold lines 14 and 15 are formed in side wall panel 4 while similar fold lines 16 and 17 are formed respectively inside wall panels 2 and 3 in known manner.

' The lid portion of the carton can best be understood by reference to FIGS. 2 and 4. The lid panel extends from the hinge line 18 by which the lid is foldably joined to the top edge of side wall 5 to the fold line 19 by which the flange panel 29 is foldably joined to the lid panel. A transverse fold line 21 is formed in the lid panel intermediate the hinge line 18 and the fold line 19, Side flanges 22 and 23 are foldably joined along side edges 24 and 25 of the lid panel.

For the purpose of forming the corners between the flange panel 20 and the side flanges 22 and 23, corner flaps 26 and 27 are foldably joined to the ends of flange panel 20 along fold lines 28 and 29, respectively.

For the purpose of rendering the side flanges and the flange panel collapsible a transversely disposed score line 39 is formed in side flange 22 while a similar score line 31 is formed in side flange 23.

For the purpose of adapting the hinged lid and particularly the side flanges Z2 and 23 so as to render these elements effective to form a tilted support for the cart-on a diagonal fold line 32 is formed in side flange 22 while a similar diagonal fold line 33 is formed in side flange 23.

As has already been explained, the lid is swung over and underneath the carton and arranged so as to form a tilted support therefor. In order to prevent the portion of the inside of the lid which is exposed to view along the side 5 of the tray portion of the carton from affording an unsightly appearance, a pair of lap panels 34 and 35 are foldably joined respectively to the lid panel along the side edges 24 and 25, respectively.

The blank as it appears in FIG. 4 is assumed to be arranged so that the inside or unprinted part of the finished carton constitutes the upper surfaw and the printed portion is the bottom surface. Thus, it vwill be understood that the lap panels 34 and 35 are printed on the underneath surfaces thereof as viewed for example in FIG. 4.

Thus, when these panels 34 and 35 are swung upwardly and inwardly toward each other about the hinge lines 24 and 25 the printed portion of lap panel 34 as well as the printed portion of lap panel 35 will then be exposed to view. In accordance with a feature of this invention the panels 34 and 35 are printed individually so as to form a composite representation. Stated otherwise, the edge 36 of panel 34 when swung upwardly and over the lid panel lies immediately adjacent to the corresponding edge 37 of lap panel 35. Any printing on panels 34 and 35 is arranged according to this invention so that the portions of the design which are on panel 34 will match with the corresponding portions of the design which are printed on lap panel 37 and thereby a composite representation of pleasing appearance is provided. In view of this explanation, it will be understood that the former practice of exposing to the direct view of an observer the unsightly unprinted inside part of the lid portion which lies between the hinge line 18 and the transverse fold line 21 is avoided.

In order to form the finished carton depicted in FIGS.

depicted .in FIG. 5.

tom panel 1. Thereafter, the corner portions 39 and 49 of panel 4 are folded over along the fold lines 14 and 15.

The succeeding operation transforms the blank as depicted in FIG. 5 to the arrangement as depicted in FIG. 6. 'More specifically the corner flap 7 is folded forwardly along the fold line 6 and the lap panel-t5 is folded for warclly about the hinge line 9. In like fashion, the corner portion 41 of side wall 42 is folded underneath the main body of side wall 2 along the fold line 16. In like fashion, the corner portion 42 of side wall 3 is folded underneath the main, portion of the side wall along the fold line 17. Corner portions 43 and 44 are folded underthe main portions of side flanges 22 and 23 along fold lines and 31,re spectively After these operations the blank of FIG. 5 is transformed in appearance to the representation designated as FIG. 6.

p Thereafter, an application of glue is made to corner flaps 7 and 8 and tocorner areas 3? and 4G and to lap panels 34 and as designated by the strippled areas in FIG.

.6. Following the application of glue as indiated in FIGJ6, the panels along the sides of the tray and lid panels are folded upwardly and into overlying relationship to the main parts of the blank as depicted in For inst ancc,.the side wall 2 and corner flap 7 tire swung over along fold line 45 while side wall 3 and corner flap 8 are folded up and over bottoiii panel 1 along the fold line 46. This folding operation causes the corner flap 7 to adhere to the corner part 39 of side wall 4 and simultaneously aflixes the corner flap 8 to the corner portion of side wall 4 in conventional manner. During the operation whereby the blank is transformed from its condition as depicted in FIG. 6 to that shown in FIG. 7, corner flaps 10 and 12 are folded over the side wall 5 along their respective fold lines 11 and i3. Simultaneously lap panels 34 and 35 are folded over along the fold lines 2% and ifa and are adhered to the adjagentportion bf the lid panel by the glue indicated by stipplirig in FIG. 6. In like fashion, the side flanges 22 and 23 are folded over respectively along their fold lines 24 and 25 so as to expose the previously folded corner portions 43 and 44 thereof. The corner flaps 26 and 27 are folded respectively over into face contacting relation with respect to the flange panel 20 along their respective fold lines 28 and 29. When so folded the carton appears as depicted in FIG. 7. Thereafter, an application of glue is made to the carton as it appears in FIG. 7 as indicated by the stippled areasx In order to transform the blank from the stage of manufacture depicted in FIG. 7 to the finished collapsed carton as depicted in FIG. 8, the flange panel 20 andlap panels 26 and 27 are folded along fold line 19 over the lid panel so that corner flap 26 is aflixed securely to the corner portion 43 of side flange 2.2. In like fashion, corner flap 27 is secured to corner portion 44 of side flange 23. The side wall 5 is folded along line 48 and thus the corner flap It comes into contact with corner portion 41 of side wall 2 and corner flap 12 is secured to corner portion 42 of side wall 3. During this operation the entire tray port of the carton is folded in the opposite direction along the lid hinge line 18.

Once the carton is completed and folded into collapsed condition as indicated in FIG. 8, of course, it is in condition for packing and shipment by the carton manufacas depicted in FIG. 2. After loading, the lid portion may be closed so that the contents are securely packaged and the outward appearance of the carton is then as indicated in FIG. -1. The side flanges 22 and 23 and flange panel 20 of the lid as shown in FIG. 1 are of a partial depth only. It will be understood that these flanges could be full depth as well. Once the packaged items are in the hands of a retailer, for example, the lid of the carton may be swung open as depicted in FIG. 2 and then folded underneath the tray portion of the carrier as depicted in FIG. 3. .In order to cause the side flanges 22 and 23.110 hold the tray portion at a tilted angle, the side flanges are folded'in- Wardly along the diagonal fold lines 32 and 33 to form a tilted support. As is apparent from FIG. 3, the panels 34 and 35, being printed, afford a pleasing appearance. As is apparent from FIG. 4, these panels are taken from portions of the blank which would be largely wasted otherwise.

In FIG. 3A only one lap panel 34a is used and such panel preferably is of the same size and shape as the portion of the lid defined by lines 18, 24, 21 and 25.

While I have shown and described particular embodiments of the invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto and intend in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in'which an exclusive property of privilege is claimed are defined as followsf p 1. A folding box formed from a unitary blank comprising a rectangular bottom panel, side walls foldably joined respectively to each edge of said bottom panel and adjoined at their ends to form a tray portion of the box, rectangular lid panel foldably joined to the upper edge of one of said side walls, a flange panel foldably joined to said lid panelaloiig the edge thereof remote from the fold line between said lid panel and said one side wall, a transverse fold line formed in said lid panel and generally parallel to the fold line between said lid panel and said one side wall and in spaced relation thereto, side flanges foldably joined to the ends of said flange panel and to the adjacent side edges of said lid panel only between said flange panel and said transverse fold line, a diagonal fold line in each of said side flanges with one end of said line exteiidiiig from the adjacent corner of said flange panel remote from said lid panel, a printed lap panel foldably joined to a side edge of said lid panel between said transverse fold line and the hinge line between said lid panel and said one side wall, said lap panel being secured in fixed face contacting relation to the inside surface of said lid panel and forming a printed cover for at least a portion thereof so that when said lid is folded outwardly and with said side flanges folded along their diagonal fold lines and underneath said bottom panel with the part of said lid panel between said transverse fold line and said flange panel in flat face contacting relation with said bottom panel to form a tilted support for the box, said lap panel is exposed to view and is parallelto the outside of said one side wall.

2. A folding box formed from a unitary blank comprising a rectangular bottom panel, side walls foldably joined respectively to each edge of said bottom panel and adjoined at their ends to form a tray portion of the box, a rectangular lid panel foldably joined to the upper edge of one of said side walls, a flange panel foldably joined to said lid panel along the edge thereof remote from the fold line between said lid panel and said one side wall, a transverse fold line formed in said lid panel and generally parallel to the fold line between said lid panel and said one side wall and in spaced relation thereto, side flanges foldably joined to the ends of said flange panel and to the adjacent side edges ofsaid lid panel only between said flange panel and said transverse fold line, a diagonal fold line in each of said side flanges with one end of said line extending from the adjacent corner of said flange panel remote from said lid panel, a pair of printed lap panels foldably joined respectively to said side edges of said lid panel between said transverse fold line and the hinge line between said lid panel and said one side Wall, said lap panels being secured in fixed face contacting relation to the inside surface of said lid panel and forming a substantially complete printed cover therefor so that when said lid is folded outwardly and with said side flanges folded along their diagonal fold lines and underneath said bottom panel to form a tilted support for the box, said lap panels are exposed to view and are parallel to the outside of said one side Wall, the printing on said lap panels being complementary and being arranged with respect to each lap panel so that a composite representation is formed when the edges of said lap panels remote from their fold lines are folded into close proximity to each other and simultaneously are secured to said one side wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,006,445 7/ Davidson 206- .21 2,137,906 11/ 38 Cummings 206-4521 2,414,67 1 1/47 Rosentha-l 206-45 .31 2,787,371 4/57 Curtis 206-4521 2,835,378 5/58 Sramek 206-4531 2,926,780 3 Osteen 206-45 .21 2,931,557 4/ 60 Loderhose 206-47 3,027,060 -3 /62 Beder.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Examiner. 

2. A FOLDING BOX FORMED FROM A UNITARY BLANK COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR BOTTOM PANEL, SIDE WALLS FOLDABLY JOINED RESPECTIVELY TO EACH EDGE OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL AND ADJOINED AT THEIR ENDS TO FORM A TRAY PORTION OF THE BOX, A RECTANGULAR LID PANEL FOLDABLY JOINED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS, A FLANGE PANEL FOLDABLY JOINED TO SAID LID PANEL ALONG THE EDGE THEREOF REMOTE FROM THE FOLD LINE BETWEEN SAID LID PANEL AND SAID ONE SIDE WALL, A TRANSVERSE FOLD LINE FORMED IN SAID LID PANEL AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE FOLD LINE BETWEEN SAID LID PANEL AND SAID ONE SIDE WALL AND IN SPACED RELATION THERETO, SIDE FLANGES FOLDABLY JOINED TO THE ENDS OF SAID FLANGE PANEL AND TO THE ADJACENT SIDE EDGES OF SAID LID PANEL ONLY BETWEEN SAID FLANGE PANEL AND SAID TRANSVERSE FOLD LINE, A DIAGONAL FOLD LINE IN EACH OF SAID SIDE FLANGES WITH ONE END OF SAID LINE EXTENDING FROM THE ADJACENT CORNER OF SAID FLANGE PANEL REMOTE FROM SAID LID PANEL, A PAIR OF PRINTED LAP PANELS FOLDABLY JOINED RESPECTIVELY TO SAID SIDE EDGES OF SAID LID PANEL BETWEEN SAID TRANSVERSE FOLD LINE AND THE HINGE LINE BETWEEN SAID LID PANEL AND SAID ONE SIDE WALL, SAID LAP PANELS BEING SECURED IN FIXED FACE CONTACTING RELATION TO THE INSIDE SURFACE OF SAID LID PANEL AND FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE PRINTED COVER THEREFOR SO THAT WHEN SAID LID IS FOLDED OUTWARDLY AND WITH SAID SIDE FLANGES FOLDED ALONG THEIR DIAGONAL FOLD LINES AND UNDERNEATH SAID BOTTOM PANEL TO FORM A TILTED SUPPORT FOR THE BOX, SAID LAP PANELS ARE EXPOSED TO VIEW AND ARE PARALLEL TO THE OUTSIDE OF SAID ONE SIDE WALL, THE PRINTING ON SAID LAP PANELS BEING COMPLEMENTARY AND BEING ARRANGED WITH RESPECT TO EACH LAP PANEL SO THAT A COMPOSITE REPRESENTATION IS FORMED WHEN THE EDGES OF SAID LAP PANELS REMOTE FROM THEIR FOLD LINES ARE FOLED INTO CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER AND SIMULTANEOUSLY ARE SECURED TO SAID ONE SIDE WALL. 